If you recently launched a new title company or plan to launch one soon, there is no shortage of things to do to get your new business going. Focusing on the right things can help maximize your time.
A website is an excellent starting point to build a professional online presence. It serves as a trust indicator for those who have not done business with you before or those who are referring business your way.
That said, launching a website can be an undertaking that takes up a lot of time (which you don’t have) and potentially a lot of money (not ideal when just launching a new business), so having an idea in mind of what baseline items you’ll need to get a quality website published is crucial.
Purchase a domain
A domain is simply the name of your website and is typically formatted with a “www” in front of it. Domains are also commonly used in your email address as well—just formatted differently with the username and @ in front of it. Domain registrars like godaddy.com are everywhere and buying a domain typically takes only minutes. This is an easy step to get checked off your list and can help build momentum for the next steps in the website process.
Have a logo ready
While a logo may not be mission-critical from an operational standpoint, it can often serve as a cornerstone for your company’s branding. When a logo is used as a primary branding centerpiece, it makes design decisions easier. For example, your logo colors might play a significant role when creating a visual “theme” for your website as you may incorporate the colors in your logo on each page. This same idea can be carried into other online marketing materials such as social media and online ads.
Matching color schemes throughout your marketing helps build brand continuity and recognition, all of which typically start with a logo. If designing a logo isn’t in your skillset, seek out a graphic designer to assist. If a graphic designer isn’t in your budget, my clients have had success using websites such as canva.com and 99designs.com to create simple logos in their brand colors using free design templates.
Source high-quality photography
When you’ve newly launched a business, you may not have an opportunity to take professional photos right away. However, quality visuals can be a powerful way to connect with your intended target audience while also making your business appear more credible. My clients often use websites like depositphotos.com and flickr.com to identify cost-effective photos.
When selecting stock imagery, a focus on photographs that depict your town or region can be a good starting point. These images will help site visitors identify you as a local partner and are often a great, non-distracting backdrop for the content on your site. Some of my clients also use simple transactional imagery of people working on devices or sitting at a closing table; however, you’ll want to be careful with these types of photos because they can often come off a little too staged. Eventually, when time (or budget) permits, you’ll want to hire a professional to take photographs of your team at work as well as headshots of your leadership team for your About Us page.
Map out your website to ensure every page has a purpose
If this is your first time creating a website for a title agency, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by decisions about what to include on your website. It is important to keep in mind that your website will evolve as your business grows, so there is no need to stress about perfecting the website for the long term.
Instead, it’s important to publish a website that covers the fundamentals of your business so that search engines like Google can start ranking your website and potential clients can find you online. With this in mind, a basic list of pages may consist of: Home Page, About Us, Resources, Services, Closing Process, Contact Us, and Order Title.
Your website won’t be a static entity. As your business evolves and you have a better sense of who your clients are and what they are searching for, the pages on your website may change as well.
Deliver valuable content for your intended audience
A focus on keywords and key phrases that mirror how customers in your region look for information is a good way to evaluate the content on each page of your website. It’s also important to consider your desired target market and the language that speaks to these potential clients. Title companies that I work with typically segment target markets by client types such as real estate agents, lenders, buyers, sellers, and investors. We also see some title companies organize content by property types such as residential or commercial.
Let’s illustrate this concept in action. Suppose you want to grow your title company in Tampa, Florida, and your target market is first-time homebuyers purchasing residential real estate. In this case, you want to ensure your content is helpful and relevant to potential clients looking to buy their first home in Tampa.
Researching what your target audience is searching for online and creating helpful content to provide information or answer questions (e.g. “How do I buy a home in Tampa, FL?”) can help increase your website’s visibility. Search engines are designed to show the most relevant content to their users, so structuring your content in this way can help increase rankings on organic search.
Showcase your competitive differentiators
Your website is the digital spokesperson of your business. For that reason, it’s a great channel to help you stand out from your competition. One of the most powerful ways to stand out from competitors is to highlight the technology solutions and tools you leverage to make the closing process more seamless and simple for your clients.
For example, if your title agency has invested in tools like Qualia Connect, you have incredible benefits to offer real estate agents and lenders that can improve the experience they offer their customers. While this can be a strong competitive advantage, no one will know about it if you don’t market it.
I encourage my clients to showcase their technology capabilities on their website, by using tools like TitleTap‘s Integrations HUB which allows our title agency clients to leverage a pre-formatted webpage template that they can add directly to their website. Each template is designed to showcase the benefits of various closing technology solutions they might be using—for example, many of my clients are eager to showcase all the things they can do to improve their client experience through Qualia Connect. These templates also include buttons for clients to get started with your company and systems. For example, with the Qualia template, you can offer a button for clients to request a quote directly from your website.
